


hey, I think you make my heart beat?

by Laeana



Series: a story whispered at twilight [3]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dorks in Love, Falling In Love, Fights, Getting to Know Each Other, Living Together, M/M, Magical Artifacts, Misunderstandings, Revenge, Sorcerers, Soulmates, Strangers to Lovers, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:16:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29979321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laeana/pseuds/Laeana
Summary: Not understanding his nature was a thing.But falling in love with the wrong person ?(it seems like it's not his only problem)
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly/Charles Leclerc, Valtteri Bottas/Nico Rosberg (implied)
Series: a story whispered at twilight [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082960
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	hey, I think you make my heart beat?

Max had woken up in a dark, cold room.

It had taken him a moment to realize that there was something wrong with him, wrong with his body. His brain even seemed foreign to him. As if something had been put in his head. Nothing was right, it was like his whole life and his principles had been turned upside down. He was a stranger to himself now.

And he was thirsty.

It was irrational, but it was a desire pulsing through his very veins. He was thirsty and he had to drink. This thirst that he could attribute to hunger too. A dark feeling in his stomach, which was unfamiliar to him, although a small voice in his head was telling him to get used to it. Get used to it quickly. He felt like it would now stick with him forever.

The first is a woman with blond hair. She is hardly older than him and her eyes, her big brown eyes, reflect her fear. Everything emanating from her is like a nameless terror. He doesn't want to do anything to her, he doesn't know why she is there, and then there is the terrible instinct that comes to him. 

He refuses to give in, he doesn’t want to give in, even though he needs to. He needs- he needs ...

Then there's this man whispering in his ear, tempting voice. With a confident and gentle gait, like velvet. His steps do not make a sound in that almost empty room and the woman is frozen in place when she sees him. A simple gesture, a little too elegant, and her neck, of pure ivory, is split, revealing a crimson liquid. 

“ **Drink.** ” The man orders him and his body obeys almost in spite of himself.

He crawls near the dying victim, or is she already dead at this precise moment ?, and drinks. Drinks until he is no longer thirsty and hates the feeling of fullness that comes over him from then on. Satisfaction, that of a fully executed meal. His meal. What he had to eat.

The man seems happy too. He takes off his gloves which he always wears, seeming to loathe the idea of coming into direct contact with things and beings, and grabs his face without hesitation.

“Good. You will sleep now and when you wake up you will eat again. You need strength. I need your strength.”

He doesn’t understand the meaning of this sentence but quickly sinks into a welcoming darkness.

Max can't resist it, the other man's hold is too strong. On him at least. His body bends to it every time he tries to resist. He hates the idea. He is too afraid of what he has become, of what he is becoming and the idea of being alone in this world is haunting.

He doesn’t want to hear the cries of this person whom the man takes care to torture, to cut up, to offer him as an experience. Nor to feel the gaze of the one he emptied of his blood, as he had been taught.

Everything is not clear then, there are passages that are blurred.

He remembers the cold, having run for a long time and the cries of wolves. They are after him and he has to always run faster. He remembers seeing this warehouse as a last hope and closing the doors behind him, but he also remembers that the doors jumped out not long after, too old.

Fear, so much fear.

Then other people, then the hospital, then Daniel.

* * *

“Max, damn it please …”

“Don't touch me !” exclaims the young vampire, curled up in a corner, “Don't … touch me.”

He did it again, he did it again. He let himself be carried away by his thirst for blood. He doesn't want to look up and see the mark on Daniel's wrist, still bloody, proof of the wrong he has just done. He doesn't want to realize how much of a monster he is. He is one.

He can never help it. The sorcerer's scent is so peculiar and his blood is sweet, appreciable. He never gets enough of his taste, he thinks he has never tasted such a taste, maybe it's just because it must be his fourth or fifth person but … it's special. He just knows it.

And he shouldn't come near him. He's going to hurt him again. He does that. What he has become repels him but also terrifies him. He can't seem to take this transformation on the safe side. Not when he leaves everything he was behind.

“Max. Max, I'm fine. Look, I'm fine !”

He may look up at Daniel, but all his gaze falls on is his arm whose blood is still dripping. He almost jumped at the sight, letting out a moan.

“Hell.”

Two arms wrapped around him and he tries to let go of the hold but Daniel only tightens the embrace. Keep him against himself.

“It's not your fault, Max. It's not your fault. Everything is fine. As long as I'm here, I won't leave you alone.”

“I hurt you …”

“No, no. I won't let you do this if I don’t want you to. You can drink my blood as much as you need.”

“What did I become, Dan …”

“You have become special. You're not quite a human being anymore, but that's okay, you're still you.”

He is shaking. The older one kisses his neck gently. Then his cheek, his forehead, the top of his head. At once, he almost feels like a kiss could have been left on his lips. He weakly denies what has just been said.

“Being human is all I have been my whole life, how can I leave that behind ? All my efforts were wasted … I just lived at the end of a rope, doing everything to survive and everything goes up in smoke.”

“No.”

Daniel shifts just enough, pulls back just enough, that his hands glide over his cheeks with once again unmatched softness, as if he is a fragile object, forcing him to look him straight in the eye. The wound on his wrist disappeared, as if by magic. He can see it out of the corners of his gaze.

“Consider this is your second chance. You can do whatever you want, you can be whoever you want now. You can choose to continue with your life or to start all over again. You have years ahead of you, Max. You are not a monster, neither of us are.”

His sobs are finally calming down. He is attracted by this vision, this sunset with a thousand lives that faces him. Daniel is breathtakingly beautiful and it didn't take long for him to realize it.

In fact, it only took Max one look.

He knows what he should want and what he should deny himself and honestly that is more of the things and people that should be inaccessible to him. It's clear. He's just him … vampire or not, he's never been the most attractive person in the world or the most interesting. That’s his only truth and the fact something changed inside of him, deeply, doesn’t change that.

“Let me take care of you, okay, Maxy ? I'll take care of everything, you don't have to worry.”

He ends up agreeing. He wants to believe the wizard's words a little too much.

* * *

“ ...And we are almost at the end of the clichés. You know you can go out in broad daylight, you've seen it yourself. The stakes, all that … are more like a myth. Silver, on the other hand, can take longer to heal sometimes.”

Max nods. He would like to say it's boring but he has to remember this stuff. These are the principles that govern his life now. It’s about survival and about his chances to stay alive. He has to get started as quickly as possible, he has to assimilate everything as quickly as possible if he wants to have a chance to return to normal life, that's what Daniel told him.

He knows very well that he will never be normal again but he can at least … continue his lessons, see his friends until he validates his diploma, right ? He doesn't see himself dropping everything all at once. To be frank, he already misses it.

“And …” he looks up, Daniel pauses, curious and attentive, “What about immortality ?”

A gleam crosses the wizard's gaze. It's too fast for him to see what but a soft smile stands on the face of his protector.

“Vampires are certainly hard to kill, but immortality is something you have to choose. A decision you can make on your own. Growing old is difficult, but your way of life can end after a number of years, if that is your choice.”

“My choice …?”

“You will never live like humans, it's impossible, but you can choose to shorten your suffering.”

His eyes widen. He would never have thought of that. But what does that bring him ? Immortality or not, he's still a vampire. That’s not changing a thing for him. He's struggling to find positive points to his transformation, yet. No matter how much Daniel tries to show him.

“What about wizards ? You've lived for centuries, haven't you ? How is that possible ?”

His curiosity may be misplaced but he needs detail and he wants to understand the man in front of him. He ignores too much of the mechanics of this world and that totally frustrates him. He doesn’t like that.

The older man's smile immediately deserted his lips, replaced by a much more serious expression. That's when he knows he fucked it up by asking this question.

“We will continue the lessons another time.”

Very dry and Daniel leaves the room at full speed, almost running away from him. Whatever the secret of immortality is, it seems like it sucks a lot. And no matter his attempts at humor, he's afraid he's screwed things up between them.

Without even knowing what exactly he did wrong.

* * *

Daniel comes home late that night. Smelling alcohol plenty. Max almost frowns when he smells it.. He couldn't go to sleep, not yet. He was desperately waiting for a word, a message. Whatever. Anything.

“Where were you ?” he asks worriedly, he thinks he will always be worried about the other man.

“Evening with Lewis. As usual. Leave me alone.”

“I … you could have sent a message or something.”

He looks down. He hardly hears Daniel approaching him with great strides. He is grabbed by the waist and yelps, unbalanced.

“I can see what you want to do, Max. I see all I could do to you without your protesting. Your feelings are too visible.” The wizard tightens his grip and he feels a shiver run through him, he doesn't understand “But I don't owe you a thing, you know. Nothing at all. And I don't want anything from you. And every day …”

He suddenly seems to regain control over his body and pulls himself away. He hardly breathes. He'll probably never know the end of Daniel's sentence and he's not sure he wants to know it. He is hurt. He's in so much pain. He feels exposed to feelings that he had not yet taken the time to name. 

The older one turns away from him in another word. So he does the thing that makes the most sense to him at that moment; he gets out of the apartment and starts running. 

He runs and runs and runs. But where can he go ? He has nowhere to go.

Tears roll down his cheeks. Are they … red ? Is it blood ? Is that the only thing he can now … He shivers at the searing contrast on his skin. The drops he wipes with his hands make it look as if he has killed someone. He is shaking.

“M-Max ?”

A familiar voice. He freezes in place, trying to remove all the blood, but he can't. He will never be able to return to his life before, it is now confirmed. 

“Max ? Is that … what happened to you? It's been several days since …”

Pierre takes hold of his hands, cold, always so cold. Before just nodding and smiling at him. He doesn't know what that means. Is it a good sign?

“I see. You can follow me home. Guess you have nowhere to go ?”

“But … what are you doing outside this late ?”

“I … I think we have things to say to each other.”

He doesn't need anything more than a friend right now, than someone he knows, than comfort, he doesn't have the heart to refuse. And anyway, how could he refuse ? He just fled from the only place he knew to be his.

Although it is not. Daniel has been pretty clear on the fact that it isn’t his home.

Pierre's hand closes around his, as though not fearing the cold that inhabits him, nonetheless, continually. Forever, now.

* * *

Max never came. They have been friends since they both entered university, for several years, but he has never been to Pierre's. It is much bigger than he would have thought and above all, above everything, there are signs of ashared life. This is what strikes him. Although there is no one in sight.

“I haven't eaten, do you mind if …?”

He shakes his head, doesn't point out to his friend that it might be a little strange to eat at four in the morning.

“So … you became a vampire. Is that why you've been missing from university lately ?” begins Pierre, leaning against the kitchen counter, nervous.

He looks down at his hands. That is true. They are still slightly red. The blood seems to have trouble vanishing. The sight makes him shiver.

“It was not voluntary. I can't remember anymore. I just know that … it was dark and I was scared. I remember a voice. Who screwed it all up.”

“Welcome to the dark side, I guess.”

“Welcome ?”

Pierre runs a hand over his face, looking tired, as if weighing the pros and cons of his next actions, before bluntly blurting out :

“I'm a werewolf.”

A rather violent tremor runs through him when he hears words.

All he remembers is being lost in town and the howls are terrible, they tear his ears apart. He can’t even look back. They are getting closer, they are getting closer too fast, he has to run faster. It's a question of life or death. They're going to catch up with him, they're going-

“Max ? Are you okay ?”

“Sorry, I … I had a bad experience.”

“I would never hurt you.” Pierre murmurs, his gaze soft, considerate. “Few people know who I am. Do you plan to come back ? We miss you.”

“I … I want to try but I … I can't control myself.”

“Oh.”

Silence stretches. The Frenchman sits next to him, on the sofa, without further words. In the distance, he can hear the dishwasher that has been started. To be honest, he misses his friends too. More than anything, he misses in general, without the yoke of the supernatural world. He loved his routine, no matter how exhausting it was.

“I understand. It was complicated for me too, at first. A disturbing instinct in the pit of my stomach and sometimes … sometimes it was just transformations, where I would wake up in the middle of nowhere, naked, having no idea what had happened to me. I had to learn to deal with it.”

“Naked ?”

“Where do you think the clothes go when we transform ? If they aren't taken off first, that's no clothes at all.”

About ten questions come to mind but he remains polite. This doesn’t necessarily concern him either. He doesn’t want to embarrass his host.

“How were you doing then ?”

“Well … Antonio was my savior on this one. He never let me down when I needed him and then I learned to control myself.”

“Antonio ? Like Antonio in environment and sustainable development ? That Antonio ?”

Pierre nods with a small smile. Then, as if an idea had crossed him, he jumps up and goes to rummage in a cupboard. When the latter then returns, he has a small jewelry box in his hands. 

“I have a short term solution for you if you want it but … it might be getting a little late. We can go to sleep, I have a spare room if you want ?”

“Oh, I … I'm not tired. Or I don't feel it. The vampire side maybe ?”

His friend looks at him with a gentle, tender air. Max feels like he missed it. Being with people who care about him and don't ask for anything in return. He failed to be by the side of the people he had chosen. His human life. The life he used to belong to.

Of course, Daniel cared about him and didn't ask for anything in return, but the situation was never comparable. There was something too much between them that, until it was sorted out, until they got to know each other better, made the situation unsettling.

“Believe me you're going to need some sleep. Come on, follow me.”

Pierre takes him to a room that seems unused, indicating to him the bathroom and the toilets. 

He simply thanks him and ends up slipping onto his sheets. Despite all his turmoil, sleep comes a little too easily. In reality, he is exhausted from the tears he has shed.

* * *

Max pushes the door of the apartment he left hours before. A very special ring shines on his finger, now. Pierre confided it to him, assuring him that it was an old gift from a friend and that he no longer needed it. It’s weird, a small weight that follows him now.

It’s an inhibitor that helps curb any supernatural instinct. However, it has a limited duration of a few hours at most. Simply an object to try to make his life more comfortable, for the moment. Now that he doesn’t have many other solutions.

It sits on his ring finger, as if watching him out of the corner of her eye.

He puts down his shoes at the entrance before walking towards his room. He doesn't necessarily want to run into his roommate. What can they say to each other ? After what happened last time ? He doesn’t want to figure it out. It's not even-

An iron grip tightens around his arm.

“You don’t even say hi ? Where were you ?”

Daniel has dark eyes and tired features, he just looks icy. He sees a red mark forming on his pale skin.

“You feel the magic of another …” then noticing the jewel on his finger “what is it ?!”

He doesn't slip away, no matter how much he doesn't like the argumentative air that already floats between them. 

“Something that helped me get home.”

“Inhibitors are not the solution, Max, you have to think long term ! Take that off right away !”

Daniel tries to grab his hand and all he can think of is it's none of his business. 

“Don’t touch me ! And don't touch that either. It's a gift from a friend who at least took me in and tried to help me and didn't run away at the first difficulty !”

“Max !” Daniel growls before his expression suddenly changes, he suddenly seems distraught and rubs his face with one hand “I'm doing this the wrong way, I …”

Max looks at the ring that shines on his finger, the ruby calm and serene. He feels sick again and tries to regain some of that sweetness that had invaded his heart a few hours before, when Pierre expressed real concern about him. A friend, a real friend.

“I was afraid. I was so afraid that something had happened to you, that the one who transformed you caught you again. I was afraid it was my fault, to have lost you just because I'm too stupid, I …”

Daniel comes forward and, with a gesture, takes him in his arms. He finds himself unable to move, wrapped in a tight embrace. The wizard's nose is against his neck. He is frozen in place, wondering what to do, even his brain does not seem to want to realize the situation.

“Never do that again, Max. I don't want to lose you, I'm so sorry.”

“Dan …”

“I don't like to feel other people's magic on you, I want to help you, I want you to be better. I only want your good. I didn't want to give in to it but …”

The magic of Daniel around him finally subsides. This is how he feels it. There was a storm, a hurricane around them, which could be kept under control, he could still smell it. Even that reminds him of waves, calm and serene, a warm sea, the unknown, but not in a threatening way.

“Does magic react to your emotions ?”

There is just a moment of silence. That was the question that came to his mind. By feeling this atmosphere change. It’s weird for him to be that aware of such a thing.

“Emotions are often the engine of magic. And … wizards can live a long time, years.”

Daniel's voice is just a whisper, a confession, close to his ear. Max, for a moment, doesn't understand the seriousness of this admission. Then the older man's arms embrace him more, as if he needs him closer.

“However all of them may not survive.”

* * *

“Some magic !” Max exclaims and he can see Daniel smirking.

“I promised you didn't I ? You kept all of your promises a little too fast, so I …”

“I usually learn quickly. But it is still not complete. I wish I could control myself more.”

“Are you joking ? You did more than most new vampires do. Otherwise, you can use the inhibitor. The idea was to be able to return you to normal life, as you wanted.”

Normal life … how weird to see him back in their conversation topics. How strange even as a term. Because, in the end, what is normal life for him now. Isn't it rather this supernatural side ? Isn't it useless to run after a dream he lost some time ago … 

“I thought you didn't like feeling someone else's magic on me ?”

“I don't have time to make one for you, so I will put up with it if you need to. The Lapis-lazuli would have gone better to the complexion and I … anyway.”

Daniel closes his eyes and once again he feels a wave of energy forming in the room. Although it never scares him, his heart beats faster in his temples. Always faster. A ray of light springs up between the wizard's hands, before it takes on a more concrete form and is it … a rose ?

“An eternal rose. As long as I live, this rose will follow you.”

Max spins it between his fingers, delighted, but also amused. The flower is blazing white and has no thorns. It is beautiful. Truly.

“Very beauty and the beast today ?”

“I … these concepts existed long before this fairytale.”

The older mumbles, seeming unhappy. A soft smile comes over his lips, a nameless tenderness invading his chest. His feelings are so weird. This rose is marvelous and being able to keep something that Daniel gave him enchants particularly.

“Thank you, really, Dan. It is beautiful, I love it.”

When he finally looks up, having finished admiring the fine work that is in his hands, he notices that Daniel is still observing him, intensely, with a pride that he doesn’t hide.

He would almost feel himself blushing under that gaze. If he really could.

* * *

_ Whatever you do, don't talk about Charles of my nature, please. _

These are the instructions Pierre left him before going shopping. Thus, Max is in a living room that is not his, drinking a Red Bull, in front of a host who has apparently just returned from a long trip in view of the suitcases he drags at his feet. A wizard, another wizard. He can't help but be curious. What are the differences ? He’s still so new to this world.

“So tell me about yourself, Max.”

“I don't have much to say other than that I'm still learning to adjust to the fact that I'm no longer human.”

“Ah so that’s what Pierre told me and … yes, that's that, you stink of Daniel's magic.”

The animosity in the voice of this new character doesn’t escape him. He raises an eyebrow, unconvinced.

“Stink ? You keep saying that … is a smell emanating from people’s magic ?”

“You can say it like that. Each magic bears its own specific imprint and everything that has been close to it is imprinted with it. No other creature can perceive it except the faeries.”

“But I …”

He looks down, pausing for a moment to think. He has never smelled an odor, but he has already noticed changes several times. He felt the impact of Daniel's magic on him or even on the surroundings. But he’s a vampire.

“Yet I was sure I felt a change of atmosphere when he used his abilities.”

“What ? You shouldn't-” Charles looks genuinely surprised, a sparkle lights up in his eyes “It's interesting to hear. Very interesting.”

“Why ?”

“I don't think it's for me to tell you. I mean, the fact that Daniel accepted someone else than Lewis is a miracle in itself.”

The wizard lets out a small laugh and he understands that the discussion is over. In an almost theatrical synchronization, the door then opens. Pierre takes off his shoes at the entrance and brings several bags with him, his face lights up.

Charles gets up and throws himself into his arms almost immediately. They seem to have missed each other a lot. Although … why did his friend ask him such a thing ? It’s not all perfectly clear.

“Max, this is Charles, my boyfriend. Charles, this is Max, one of my closest friends.”

“Mmh, I know. I had time to get to know him.”

“I hope you haven't traumatized him.”

“You know I could never do that, my love. I don't want you to be mad at me after this.”

He suddenly feels like he has walked into or interrupted something. He feels embarrassed to witness the scene which doesn’t concern him at all. But still …

Pierre seems so happy with Charles so why ? 

Max got some information from Charles too, but he still doesn't know what to do with it. In truth, his inexperience and lack of knowledge are his main weakness. He doesn’t know what to do to fill them. He doesn’t even know if he can do something about it.

And that frustrates him. 

He who always kept his life under control, down to the smallest detail, because he couldn't afford to make mistakes. Mistakes were synonymous with the end for him.

Now everything has been derailed and taken such a turn that he is no longer sure to ever have anything under control.

* * *

“Did you have a good day ?” Daniel asks him with a smile as he leaves his coat in the hallway.

“I met Charles, it was … special.”

“Oh ?”

Max gets rid of his shoes before entering the apartment. The wizard stands in the middle of the living room, in a suit and tie. He doesn't know where he may have gone but he often sees him in these kinds of outfits lately.

“Did he tell you anything ?”

Feigned curiosity doesn’t escape him. Worried, snatches of conversation come back to his mind but these are only things he has not really grasped. He doesn't want to worry his host more than necessary.

“No …”

“Come here.”

Daniel opens his arms, a clear invitation. He hesitates for a moment before stepping forward and accepting the embrace. The atmosphere around them changes again, slightly. Very in control.

“What are you doing ?” he can't help but ask, a little too close to smell the delicious scent emanating from him.

“I'm getting rid of the smell of Charles on you, that's all. I hate having someone else's magic on you.”

“Daniel, you …”

The question burns his lips. What did he mean the last time that everything may not survive ? He would like to know, he would like to know so much. Does that mean the older one sacrificed something to get here ?

“What's the matter ?”

And when Daniel has that look on his face, that worry deep in his eyes, encouraging and definitely listening, Max really wants to speak. He feels like he could tell everything weighing on his heart at the moment. But he knows he won't get the answers he desperately seeks. He shakes his head.

“Oh.” The wizard tilts his head to the side, seeming to understand. “Is it maybe that you are hungry ?”

With a flexible gesture, his host unties his tie, revealing tanned and smooth skin of any imperfection. 

“W-What ? Dan, I'm not going to … feed on you.”

“Why not ? I am the one offering.”

Was he like that with Lewis ? Was he the type to offer his blood so freely ? The idea displeases him greatly and he has to remember everything they are not, to calm his ardor. To calm himself down.

“I don't think this is a bad idea.”

“You are not going to kill me. I believe in you. You have already abstained for several days, I can offer you a solution ?”

He looks down but Daniel, with a confident gesture, lifts his chin with one hand, fixing his gaze on his.

“Hey, it's gonna be alright, okay ?”

His will is crumbling. Daniel's blood still smells awfully good. A unique smell that intoxicates him in a way incomparable to anything he has tasted before. And he knows he's young as a vampire but he knows it deep down. It is special. That’s an understanding, a realization as nothing else he ever knew before. 

The wizard leans towards him, presenting his neck to him. He sighs and it's almost compulsive. He feels his fangs sticking out. He licks the skin, already getting a taste of what to expect, then he bites the flesh.

Blood quickly floods in his mouth. He takes sips after sips. He always wants more. A taste of the forbidden. Very sweet but balanced, pure ? A sort of purity that escapes from it and it's quite strange, he's never thought of it, it's familiar. Like a meeting. 

A … meeting …

He steps back. Images parade before his eyes. Part of his past. What he fled, what he feared. He is free today. He can do whatever he wants. Nothing, no one will be able to constrain him in the same way he was constrained in the past. His father can't do anything to him, the other students can't do anything to him. He is free.

He is free.

And that awareness has, in itself, an immediate effect on who he is. Why fear what awaits him ? He lived the worst of a human life, nothing could be more terrible than those years. That the lie, the terror, the sacrifice of oneself to correspond to ideals which do not belong to him.

He is free !

“Max ? Max, are you okay ?”

Daniel looks worried again. He doesn't like to see that expression in his eyes. Euphoria trumps all other emotions. Euphoria seems to rush in his blood in itself. 

“Why wouldn't that be okay ? It's amazing … I didn't even think about it you know ? I couldn't see it. Maybe death is what suits me best. Why did I care so much ? Life has brought me nothing …”

**Take revenge on life.**

**Take revenge on this life that gave you no chance.**

**Take revenge, now that you have the power and destroy everything in your path.**

“Max …”

Daniel's voice is a slow warning but he doesn't care. The power he got, the power he has now. Yes, it's true. Humans are so fragile, it wouldn't take much to sweep them away. Barely a breath. He could crush them. All of them. Any of them that would stand on his path.

“Max !”

The wizard in front of him tries to grab his wrist. He grinds his teeth, that kind of magic is difficult to deal with. It's just another annoyance. He pushes him away with a gesture and his opponent flies across the room but never reaches the wall, a purple aura around him.

“What's going on with you, Max ?”

It's cold. Sadness, incomprehension. A great fighter, he has speed and strength to his advantage, there is nothing he can do against this magic. The image blurs in front of him for a short moment. 

The other creature has disappeared. It’s his mistake. He turns around, persuaded to face h again. A pair of lips rest on his and he moans in spite of himself. What the-

So … blurred … his eyelids … 

“Sorry, Max, I'm sorry, I can't bring myself to hurt you.”

* * *

He floats in a kind of fog.

In weightlessness.

He's not even sure he's actually in his body.

Or even to be alive.

_ “I'm going to find this bastard and rip his head off.” _

_ “Oh, where did your ethics go ?” _

_ “Shut up, you know you would have done the same thing if he had touched even a hair’s breadth of Pierre. I’m gonna crush him.” _

The voices are so far away. 

Deformed.

Out of reach.

Or unless it is he who is out of reach? 

Out of everything ?

_ “That bothers me. Even Nico didn't have such a hold on me.” _

_ “It's abnormal. No one is supposed to have such a hold. From what you told us … Daniel, it was like a ticking time bomb.” _

_ “You had a hard time calling me by my first name, Charlie. But yes, I don't like it at all, I loathe it. Do you think that … restraining his nature will solve the problem ?” _

_ “This vampire whose head you want so badly will come back for him eventually, Daniel. If he took so much care of him, he will come back. He is his.” _

_ “He is not his ! He doesn't belong to anyone, he doesn't- !” _

_ “Calm down, Dan. We won't let him take him from you. Everything will be alright.” _

_ “Lewis, I … I think I'm scared. It's been so long, I …” _

It's like echoes.

Everything is erased in front of him.

He can't quite stay aware of what's going on.

There is nothing worse than this feeling.

He is losing.

Against something.

He can't fight.

He is helpless.

* * *

The light is blinding. Max tries to get his eyes used to it. He feels disoriented. He feels like he's slept for days. What happened ? Where is he ? He can’t seem to understand. His mind is empty of any explanation.

“Oh, Max, are you awake ?”

Daniel smiles at him, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

“I wanted to let you sleep but you should prepare yourself.”

“Prepare myself ?”

The wizard leans forward slightly, to ruffle his hair. Affectionately, yes. He almost recoils, without understanding why.

“Have you already forgotten ? Tonight, we're celebrating your departure for the human life. I have nothing more to teach you.”

“O-Oh.”

Already ? He doesn't really want to leave. He's good … staying at Daniel's. Their routine pleased him, in the end. There was something addicting about spending so much time with the older man. He never had enough. He always needed more. 

And at the same time … isn't that what he wanted ? The possibility of returning to his studies ? To have his friends back ? He has strong allies by his side, he is not alone. He doesn't know for how long, but he knows he will say goodbye to this old life properly, he needs it. He's a little nostalgic.

“I have prepared suitable clothes for you, will you take a shower ? I'll be waiting for you in the living room.”

He nods, moving the covers to stand up. Daniel's hand slides down his cheek, lingering there for a moment, as if he has more to say. He expects more. To a plus that never happens. No matter how much he wants it.

Then the wizard leaves his room.

He follows the path indicated to him. His thoughts swarm around him and he doesn't try to point them towards one thing in particular. He prefers to drown in this mass of thoughts right now. How did he fall asleep already ? He can't remember.

The clothes dropped off for him seem too chic to match him, how he feels. He wears them anyway, not knowing what to expect after all. Celebrate his departure … 

Daniel is sitting in the living room, thoughtful, when Max joins him. His face lights up when he sees him arrive.

“I did well to choose them, they look great on you.”

The wizard approaches him, almost dangerously and grabs his left hand before slipping a ring on his finger.

The gesture makes him blush. It’s a ring crowned with a blue stone. He feels a feeling of appeasement, calm, security. It’s not ordinary.

“Lapis Lazuli. Trust, communication and inner peace.”

“Did you … make me a ring ? You had time for it ?”

“I'd rather have you wearing my magic than someone else's. If you feel the need, if you lose control, touch the stone. It will stop any transformation.”

Then, Daniel brings his hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles. He intertwines their hands, not wanting them to separate, not now.

“Are you ready, Maxy ?”

“I …”

“If you don't have the answer now, you'll find it later. I trust you, this is the first time that I … anyway, I’m sure you will get there without any worries.”

He doesn’t have time to ask what the sorcerer was so reluctant to say because, soon, the door is open.

* * *

Max doesn't really know where they are. But there are a lot of people, and it's too much for him. He hardly recognizes any face in the crowd but it's a population of supernatural people, he knows it, he feels it. Normality in the first sense is not present, they are between them. 

Daniel walks him with him, presenting him every now and then, as if he were a trophy, or a gem. A precious stone, a diamond. He doesn't know what to do with so much attention but the wizard is strangely excited today, more open than ever, so he lets him do it.

It changes from usual. There has always been something inexplicable about the older one. A coldness, unattainable, inaccessible. 

“Max and Daniel, what a surprise !” Charles interrupts them, wrapped in a burgundy satin shirt.

“Charles, I don't remember inviting you.” Daniel grinds his teeth.

“But Pierre is there. You knew very well that I would not leave my boyfriend alone at such a party.”

“That didn't stop you from leaving him for several weeks.”

He's about to put his hands up and try to calm them down, because he doesn't know what they're capable of (why do they dislike each other so much?) and he wants this ... this place, this building to stay in one piece, when the front doors open theatrically.

There was already a lot, a lot of acting pulled up here.

Everything looked like a palace with the grand staircase with a red carpet on it, the golden railings and chandelier, the white marble columns, the statues and paintings, and the beautiful costumes that everyone was wearing … 

A man walks into the hall. He squints because, isn’t that … Valtteri ? But what is he doing here and why would he be here ? He's got nothing to do with the supernatural, he's sure of that.

Amid the heavy silence that has settled in, the guests staring at the newcomer, there is an exclamation of muffled surprise and someone, finally, walks past the crowd that moves aside as they let him advance. Nico. 

He hadn't had the chance to see him yet, neither he nor Lewis.

Nico finally reaches Valtteri and puts his hands on his cheeks, dumbfounded, in shock, as if having difficulty in realizing that he is there. And by mutual agreement, they kiss each other proudly in the midst of all. Applause flares up almost immediately.

“Dan, what was that …?”

“Lewis gave me permission to reunite them, finally. Sebastian has really had a positive impact on him, he's able to let go of that part of him.”

“Seb ? Seb is there ?” Charles has stars in his eyes.

Daniel sighs, simply, probably exasperated by the other wizard's behavior. Max smiles and, seeing Pierre farther away, waves his hand to greet him. The werewolf immediately rushes towards him.

“Max ! I present to you Antonio !”

Antonio is dressed in an elegant burgundy suit, with a black shirt, his long hair tied in a ponytail.

“Welcome here, I guess.”

“Thank you, I wasn't expecting … well, Pierre told me about you.”

“Ah yes ?” Antonio grinds his teeth, before pinching Pierre's hip, who yelps. “He kept getting lost in the forests during the night and then I had to go get him. That year I almost missed all of my exams because I literally couldn't sleep at night.”

A frank laughter passes his lips. He really wasn't expecting it. He struggles to stop laughing, almost wondering the last time he had felt so free, carefree. It's true, he's not alone. He is no longer alone.

The supernatural is a whole world, never a single person. Everything will be alright.

“Damn, Tonio, every time ! You never waste a moment to make a fool of me in front of everyone !”

“Make a fool of you ?” Charles approaches them, his eyes shining and Pierre falls immediately silent. 

Always this strange atmosphere. He doesn't know what to think about it. The werewolf must have his reasons and it's not like he can really question him. This is not his job and it doesn’t especially concern him.

A tap on his shoulder prompts him to turn around, escaping at the same time this situation which displeases him.

Lewis and Sebastian stand in front of him, almost paternalistic. He'll probably never admit it, but he doesn't mind. He never had the same feeling … with his own father. Sebastian has a bouquet of blue flowers for him.

“Primroses. For renewal.”

“Thank you, I …” He realizes at that moment how much words fail him, it's crazy to get attached to people so quickly, but Lewis and Seb took good care of him when he needed it, when he was visiting them. “Thank you.”

“Take care of yourself and be careful, okay ?” Lewis smiles at him, replacing one of his locks of hair that fell in front of his eyes. 

He wants to stay a little longer. Or it’s more like he's still having a hard time getting used to the idea that he's going to leave all these people soon. Or at least that he will stop seeing them constantly.

* * *

Max undoes several buttons of his shirt before letting himself fall on the sofa. They are finally home. He can't believe the evening is already over and, at the same time, he's relieved. It was a bit too much for him. Sad and happy. Mixed feelings.

“Such a night, wasn’t it ?” Daniel smiles before handing him a glass of water.

He takes several sips, slowly, letting this feeling of freshness settle in his stomach. 

“I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow. Are you sure I couldn't stay in your apartment ?”

“Max, we've talked about this before … it would be dangerous for you to stay.”

The wizard crouched down to be on his level, taking his face in his hands. He can't escape. Neither this situation nor that soft brown gaze, yet so cold deep down. Always disturbing, never repelling.

“If you want to start over this normal life, at least to finish your studies, you have to do it properly. Someone must not discover the truth about you.”

“You talk to me like I'm reckless, like …”

“Max, I don't want anything to happen to you.”

They are so close. He can feel Daniel's breath on his lips. So he leans forward slightly, until their lips meet. It's violent and he feels dizzy, struck by something bigger than himself. He struggles to-

Daniel pushes him back before taking several steps away, eyes wide, looking terrified, short of breath, paler than he has ever seen.

“I … sorry …” the older man seems to have a hard time keeping his feet up, scared, “but I can't give you what you want.”

He hears the door slam with a violence that almost makes him jump. 

The fleeting sensation doesn’t want to leave his lips. He closes his eyes, feeling the warm touch, barely a touch, and suddenly his eyes are wet. He doesn't understand what just happened, but he's been rejected. What did he just do ?

What an idiot. But what an idiot.

Regrets are always so much easier to have when it's all over. He puts a hand to his mouth, sees his pale skin tinted with tears. Red again, red everywhere.

Romantic, cruel, murderous.

Maybe it's better if he leaves after all.

* * *

Normal life.

What Max wanted so much to return to. He assumes he can't complain. He has what he wanted and he has his life in his hands again. A feeling of control. He's back in his routine, except he's the one who changed.

And again that feeling of-

“Max ?” 

He is brought back to reality by Pierre who looks at him with wide eyes but a smile plastered on his features in spite of everything.

“We were wondering if you wanted to come to Dany's performance tomorrow night with Val and me ?”

Music. Oh. He feels like it's been so long since he just let himself be enjoying these moments. Spare time, hobbies. He remembers going out with his friends a lot before. 

“Yes of course. I wouldn't miss it for anything.”

Pierre's face lights up even more.

“Don't you want to bring Tonio ?”

“Impossible. He has a date.”

“What ? With who ?”

The werewolf shakes his head. It seems surprising to him considering the number of hours that the two spend together not even being in the same field. They are great friends and sometimes he envies them.

A shiver runs through his spine. He turns around, looking left to right, but there is no one there.

“Hey, Pierre, don't you sometimes have the feeling that …”

He pauses in his own thoughts. He has the constant feeling of being watched. He doesn't feel safe and there is nothing he can do about it. He doesn't know if he's paranoid or if he's right. After all, he might be imagining things.

“No nothing just forget about it.”

“Besides, Nico will be there. He wouldn't miss an opportunity to see Val. Maybe Lewis and Seb will come ? Or Daniel ?”

This leaves him wondering. He hasn't seen Daniel for a little over a month, after Daniel slammed the door. When he woke up he still hadn't come back and they hadn't even said goodbye. He's not even sure he wants to see him again right away. Even if he needs an explanation, probably.

Pierre seems enthusiastic, that's probably the main thing. As for the rest, Max assumes he'll see when he comes face to face with it. It should only be his impressions after all. There is no reason for him to be followed.

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“I have known you to be more optimistic ! Come on, it's gonna be time to go back.”

“Unfortunately.”

“And you were the one who wanted to come back to this life !”

He shrugs his shoulders. His friend lets out a loud laugh. Always so carefree. Sometimes he envies him. Pierre becomes one with his nature and does not fear it. He is not yet at this stage, although he is more confident. 

It's not like he can reverse the process anyway.

* * *

The music is loud. Daniil does a guitar solo that leaves him speechless. Still a hell of a level. Daniel is nowhere in sight, on the other hand, Lewis and Nico are there, both. A rather surprising vision.

“So, this human life ?” asks his vampire mentor.

“Not bad. I missed it, I wanted … I don't know. It's all I've ever known. There is something comforting about that again, you know ?”

“If you found what you were looking for, then that’s great.”

Silence floats between them for a few moments. They watch the artists change and another song play. There is a crowd at their feet, dancing without stopping, without caring about the rest of the world.

“How … how is Daniel ?”

“Oh. Good ? I think. I haven't seen him lately.”

He nods, doesn't dare ask for more. He thinks it would be selfish of him. He feels too bad. His memories of the evening hurt him too much for him to want to hang on to them. He would have thought that at least not being human would protect him from his feelings. He is disappointed that this is not the case.

“I'm going to get a drink, can I get you something ?”

“No thanks.”

He is left alone, watches Lewis disappear into the crowd. He can no longer see Nico, Valtteri or even Pierre. Daniil is no longer on stage. He feels abandoned by everyone. Or else, he is not quite at ease. 

This unpleasant feeling that comes back to him. But once again, surrounded on all sides, he cannot figure out whether he turns out to be simply his imagination or very real. He takes a deep breath before getting up. He needs to take his mind off things.

A cold hand closes around his wrist. 

* * *

“Let go of me! Damn, I-”

“Fierce, right ? You've grown in character since the last time I saw you. Thank you, Dany, you can leave.”

Are they in a house ? An extravagant living room. Max doesn't recognize anything, but he knows he's been dragged here. In front of him stands the same man, the same vampire who turned him and held him captive. He knows it.

“What did you do to Daniil ?”

“Just a little spell. You should know that, right ? You are just as capable of it. When he wakes up, he won't remember anything about our little one … let's say, meeting.”

He watches his friend leave the place, staring into the distance, without even giving them a last look.

He details his “host”. He can't believe they are coming face to face again. Fear slowly builds in him. Apprehension too. He doesn't know what to expect. He knows he's probably less strong.

“Daniel couldn't help but get you back. He always had a thing for stray dogs. Rather funny when you think about it, given his history …”

Daniel ? How does he know Daniel ?

“I created you …” the other vampire puts his hands on his cheeks and he can't do anything about it, his hands tied behind his back, except to think that the last person to hold him like that … “because I want revenge. I need you to finally settle this conflict and win. After everything they've taken from me …”

His gaze is frozen, blocked, trapped in the translucent one in front of him. Clearer than his ?

“So I'm going to allow myself.  **Get back under my control now.** ”

Max closes his eyes, waits to feel his body lifted by the overwhelming urge to follow these words. The submission. Not being able to do anything about it. He is waiting to become a puppet again, he has already felt it several times. This moment, this hateful moment.

He opens his eyes again after several seconds.

“What ? How is that possible, you … you shouldn't be able to resist it. ”

There is something pleasant about seeing his abductor so distraught. Then, he directs his gaze to his hands and grabs one of them angrily. He grimaces, feeling the ties being stretched, leaving a visible mark on his wrists.

“This ring. That fucking ring. Magic once again. I hate them so much …”

“So that was you.” 

The door flies to the ground. Daniel is behind, looking largely angry. Max can feel his magic escaping from him in successive waves of waves. When they reach him, a sense of security takes hold of him.

He’s good, he’s fine. Daniel is there, Daniel has come, for him.

“Give him back to me, Lando.”

“Give him back to you ? But he was never yours ! You shouldn't even want it, you shouldn't want anything anymore.”

Lando keeps him against him with force. Held hostage. That's it. That’s what he is. Yet there is an instinct that runs through his entire body, which makes him stay still.

“Did you know that blood recognizes blood, Daniel ? You may have loosened him from my grip, but it's far from over. Would this be a good start to my revenge ? I never expected you to get attached to anyone … you shouldn't be able to …”

“Your fault ! You almost tore my heart out !”

“What …” 

He almost brings attention back to himself as he blurts out the word. For a moment, it seemed that both adversaries had forgotten about him, too caught up in a long and ancient fight he doesn’t know a thing about. Although he plays the hostage, the gain, the price to be recovered.

“Didn't he tell you ? I can’t believe it.” Lando gives a mocking laugh, and if he was looking for the truth, he's not sure he wants it from him. “His heart is no longer in his chest. I almost killed him … his only way to survive was to part with him. The reason he never put it back, I can't tell you. But what he feels for you cannot be love, he is unable to feel it.”

The other vampire pushes him aside as the wizard attacks him. Lando is really strong on a whole different level. He doesn't know why he feels so mixed. The waves surrounding Daniel are more and more important. Nothing good.

The furniture flies around, the room is soon nothing more than the site of their battle. He spots a dagger on the ground and tries somehow to break his shackles. He's not sure he can change anything in battle, but he knows which side to stand on. 

The energy around Daniel seems to take on a different hue as he lands against the wall. He feels it explode, less and less human. More and more dark. Nothing’s good.

“The energy of chaos against an original vampire. Interesting.”

“I should have killed you when we first met !”

“And instead you participated in the murder of my clan, very noble of you !”

Once again, ignored by the other two, he is free in his actions. The rope that held his wrists falls to the ground. He has to stop Daniel. He doesn't know why or how, but he knows that if the wizard continues on this path, something bad will happen. He just knows it. He feels it.

He stands up. His legs are shaking. He has the impression of not being totally himself or at least of being under the influence. At this moment, he feels master of his abilities, of his nature that he has had so much trouble understanding. 

A deep breath.

He picks up the dagger and squeezes it in his fist, to the point where his skin is slightly gashed. He has his target right in front of him. He lifts his arm and flexes the dagger. His increased strength and speed are additional damage factors.

The fight ends immediately.

Lando staggers, the blade stuck in the middle of the abdomen, the look of surprise, shock, incomprehension and distress marking his features.

"You … you shouldn't be able to hurt me … it can't be, I- … except if … except if … I'm really unlucky right ?”

The vampire firmly grips a pendant he kept hidden under his shirt and mutters a few words before disappearing.

Max rushes almost immediately to Daniel who collapses.

"Dan, you came for me. I can’t believe it. Why ?”

“You … you make my heart beat …”

“What ?”

Daniel closes his eyes, no serious injuries visible, it’s as if he is consumed by an inner evil, deeper than any weapon can reach. 

“Dan ? Dan, don't leave me like this, open your eyes ! I … I don't know what to do …”

He doesn't know where they are, he doesn't have a phone and he faces a situation that is beyond him. He tries to calm down, to come to his senses. Hard to see clearly. 

There are footsteps behind him.

He brings Daniel back to him, a little more, his head against his lower abdomen, and tries to move back. It can be anyone. It may be Lando who returns to finish them off. He won't let anything happen to Daniel. He can't let anything happen to Daniel.

“Max ? Daniel ?” 

Charles is in the doorway. A sigh of relief escapes him.

“How did you find us ?”

“Daniel … sent me a message. Before coming. Lewis and Nico warned us almost immediately that you were missing and we were looking for you but … he wouldn't wait for us.”

“I don’t know what happened. He used his magic too much, I think ? I saw it … I felt it change. I couldn’t do a thing.”

“Fuck.”

Charles walks up to him and grabs his hand and Daniel's hand before whispering a few words. In just a second, they are elsewhere. Having been there before, he recognizes his apartment and Pierre's.

“Lay Daniel on the couch, please.”

He lifts the unconscious man and does as he is told.

“Most wizards have a different source of magic. More or less dangerous depending on its origin and the degree of control exercised. Losing control is like letting the magic take over. You can never come back from it.”

“Lando evoked the magic of chaos …”

“Lando ?! You ... you will have things to tell us I guess. And it’s a rather vulgar name. It’s more … let's call it darkness or a form derived from it. Very powerful, the reverse of mine. This is why we have a hard time getting along.”

Charles sits next to Daniel on a stool and places both hands above his chest. It's strange. Unlike Daniel, Max can't really see or smell what's going on.

“Can you call Seb, yes ? Lewis has to be with him, tell them what happened, I'll try to deal with it.”

He nods and obeys on autopilot. His emotions come back and hit him so hard that he has difficulty walking. He feels his legs shake. He doesn’t want his last conversation with Daniel is that they have had, he needs to speak to him and he needs more ...

**You ... you make my heart beat ...**

These words turn in loop, obsessively. He doesn't understand why it hurts him so much. Attraction, yes, but more than that. Love ? But at what point ? Why did it never seem common, may it be …

Charles' gaze.

Or Lando's words.

He lacks knowledge and that is not fair. He deserves to know. What good is it for him to no longer be human, to no longer be an ordinary defenseless being, if he is so helpless in the face of such a situation ?

“Seb ? It's Max …”

“ _Max ? Charles found you ? So much the better … we kept looking for you, Lewis was so afraid that something had happened to you …_ ”

It's trivial. It's not a big deal. And yet, at this precise moment, hearing Sebastian makes him want to cry.

* * *

Max finds himself sitting on the sofa, surrounded by Lewis and Nico, while Sebastian prepares hot drinks. Charles moved Daniel to the bedroom and is still looking after him.

He feels tired, it has been a long day and evening.

Lando or rather Lando Norris is one of the original vampires. One of the first vampires to ever set foot on the earth. His years of existence makes him one of the most powerful too. He wandered the world for a long time, and often fought against vampire hunters. Many vampire hunters.

But several hundred years ago, when he had retired and founded his clan, he was attacked by a certain family he was previously fighting against. They wouldn't have left any survivors if it wasn't for him.

No one had seen him for a long time, until today.

The hunter family had apparently been helped by several powerful wizards of which Daniel was one. There are rumors that Lando seeks to assemble a new clan for revenge.

He's tired.

He doesn't want this story. Nico told him that he would probably be powerful, since he had been turned into a vampire by him. He doesn't really care. Not for the moment. 

“Did you manage to hurt Lando ?” Lewis frowns and nods.

“So Charles was telling the truth …” 

“Charles ?”

“The instincts of vampires are ruthless. You don't bite the hand that feeds you. From the moment someone has been transformed, they undergo a period of submission to their creator. They can’t hurt him. The shortest period is a year but the more powerful the vampire is …” explains Nico, lesson learned.

“But it's not even been a year …”

“And Lando is very, very, very powerful.”

Lewis laughs, amused, more than amused. He seems to have a hard time stopping and finally stands up, trying to regain his composure.

“I'm gonna see what Seb is doing in the kitchen, Nico, why won’t you explain the situation to him.”

“I- sorry ? Lewis, wait !”

Max sits up, interested. The answers he expected ? He wished for ? Nico looks exasperated and mutters something before rubbing his face with one hand.

“Soulmates.”

The notion freezes him in place.

“That does exist ?”

“Supernatural creatures exist, why wouldn’t they ?”

“Good point.”

Nico runs a hand through his hair, letting himself sink into the sofa a little more.

“There are what are called Cupid's servants. It's very rare to see one but sometimes they mark two people. Soulmates. They can see through each other's abilities and no magic can alter their bond.”

“Daniel ?”

“Good answer. Normally this is more easily seen but even he must have felt it.”

**You … you make my heart beat …**

He looks down. He doesn't know what to do with this information. That is true. It's terribly true but what does he do with it ? He was pushed back the last time he tried anything. Rejected and left to hurt, alone.

At that moment, the bedroom door opens and Charles comes to drop beside them, with a long sigh.

“I got him. He will be back. We only have to wait until he wakes up. But I think … it would be dangerous for him to be without his heart any longer.”

“Why ?” it is Nico who asks the question, interested.

“Let's say that magic is often a reflection of emotions. Emotions that Daniel is not supposed to feel or not totally. The reason he lost control. So if we could put it back in place, so that I stop saving his ass every time and that Max stop having that hangdog expression. "

“I- … I didn't …” he feels his cheeks take on a rosy hue, hopelessly.

“Perfect !” exclaims Lewis, who had slipped by their side as Charles spoke. “I was tired of dragging it with me …”

A wooden box, with fine and ornate finishes faces them. It seems old, locked. At a glance, Max immediately knows what's inside. He hears it beating in his ears, almost as clearly as his own heart.

-

When Daniel enters the living room, wearing only jogging bottoms, and sees them all piled up on the two sofas, he sighs.

“What are you all doing here ?”

“It’s my home, in case you forgot it, and I saved you. I do allow myself the right to be here in my living room, Daniel.”

“I liked it better when you couldn't even pronounce my first name.”

Charles sticks his tongue out at the other wizard, childish. Any trace of the illustrious spell manipulator Max saw earlier vanished. He has trouble finding the words himself. What to say ?

“We'll have that council later,” Lewis continues, standing up, “I think the conversation you owe Max takes precedence over the rest. That's why I'm giving it back to you.”

Daniel swings the box in his hands, a wistful smile on his face.

“It's about time, huh.”

“More than time.” Lewis answers with a smile.

The complicity that only friends who have known each other for far too long can have.

* * *

They are left alone. Max believes he has never felt so uncomfortable in his entire life. Awkward. He doesn't know what to say. He doesn’t know what to do. But Daniel doesn’t seem more advanced than him. The first words that come to mind … 

“Thank you.”

“For what ?”

“For coming to get me, for saving me.”

“I could never have left you in Lando's hands. You are not his, you never will be. I was not whole and I … I already loved you so much. But I was afraid of it, I wanted to run away as I ran away from most of the emotions that I felt during this time.”

Daniel takes a few steps forward, closing the gap between them. Both hands on his cheeks, again but this time it's different. It's so different and there is so much playing out in their eyes.

“I didn't want you to suffer when I wasn't able to love you properly but I ended up hurting you anyway. I'm sorry, Maxy, really. Forgive me.”

“I don't see why you're apologizing.”

“You know that now, don't you ? You and me … what we are …”

“Soulmates …”

The older man's thumb delicately strokes his lower lip and he shivers at the touch, delicious, sweet. He is almost shaking with desire.

“I can't promise you a safe life, you saw it today, but I was lying that day. I want you to stay with me, I want you at the apartment, at our apartment. I want to wake up next to you and lie down with you in my arms, I want …”

He has never seen so many emotions run through Daniel's face and he has to say it's beautiful. 

“I want to keep you in my arms, safe, away from the world. I would do anything for you, but I don't think I can bear to live there any longer, without you. Can you … come back to me ?”

Max smiles and puts his lips on those of the wizard who responds without hesitation to the kiss. He feels complete, fulfilled. That's the way it should be, and he wants nothing but to stay here, right now. Happiness, what a strange notion. How bland everything seems to him in comparison to what he is living at the moment.

“I don't want to spend another night without you.” He whispers, as Daniel hugs him. “I love you, Dan. I still have so much to know about this world but … you are my certainty.”

“I love you too, Max. Thank you for being here. All this time, I … I didn't want to be hurt anymore. I didn't want to suffer anymore but I can't help but love you. You are the best thing that has happened to me in centuries, maybe even in my entire life.”

“Don't exaggerate …”

“I never exaggerate.”

He laughs, freer than he has ever been. So is that recklessness ? Is that what he's been looking for so much, is that kind of happiness ? He wouldn't have believed he could taste it, experiment it, not now that he's no longer human.

But it turns out that he finds it precisely because he has abandoned this part of him. Without this situation, he may never have found Daniel. He doesn't know what to do with all this love overflowing in his chest, but he doesn't want to get rid of it and he doesn't want to live without it.

No matter what hardships they have to face, he can never have regrets about it. About all of his feelings, about their relationship and about who he has become.

And maybe, maybe after all, being a vampire isn't that bad.

**Author's Note:**

> I have so much trouble finishing this part, oh gosh! I got it all started but when vacations came, it totally blocked me to advance on this story. I'm proud to finally present it to you all.  
> A lot of plotting around here, and some new characters also involved haha. Some other parts are yet to come but, right now, I just hope you liked this one !
> 
> tumblr : laeana


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